My suspicion is that Cio has some history with the Dread Mammon, He of the Vile Hoard.

Perhaps regarding the theft of a Key.

After all, we know that Cio is quite capable: Why was she in durance vile with a creature like Preem Nand? Perhaps because she was stripped of much of her power by an angry Demiurge and sold as a concubine-wife to the vile, but very wealthy slaver, as punishment befitting one as proud as she.

One should never trust a devil’s cooking; firstly, because they are bizarrely fond of capsaicin, salt, pepper, wasabi, bitter herbs and soy sauce all in the same pot, and secondly, because nine times out of ten, the overwhelming flavor of the dish conceals the fact that the devil has forgotten that (at least for those of us possessed of cooler flames) tobacco is not a seasoning, and ninety-eight proof glass-cleaning alcohol is not a marinade.

How dare ye! Tha bobbly-headed heateater!
Of all my many masters, never once have any had anything but praise for my cooking! Even the ones I poisoned! My present master had even cited my culinary skills in his binding of me! Perhaps if tha had a tongue to taste and more than heat in thy skull tha would know!

Devil, I would suggest you still your tongue, but — considering the verdant affection for loathsome sweets and bilious, steaming rum, which, on one memorable occasion, I saw choke a young vatra into unconsciousness with its fumes alone — I doubt you’ve retained enough sensation in it to know whether it was still.

Give the guy a break. It took me several years and a few nights with a party of suicidal iron defilers to get accustomed to the idea of liquid heat glaze on my chocolate muffins. Broader perspective makes for better company, I agree, but substituting basil for tanned stomach skin is something that takes time, you know?

I believe you have not experienced the cooking of our finest Sous-chefs. Asbestos pie with Ghost-pepper ice cream is to burn for, the Rock salt soda refreshing as air, and My personal favorite thing to smoke with such delicacies is a sun-dried nightshade leaf that has had a bottle of Black Mask Whiskey evaporated upon it mixed with a hint of burning hair. All this of course, is to be cooked with only the blackest flame of an unmasked demon, myself excluded.

-from the lips of the Hirophant of Demons whose word is gospel,
Primordial Am-Sxhad Who Breaks Masks And Forged His Own Name

Nyave has a conscience and some emotional awareness, all things lacking in in the modern kalpa. Her sensitivity and wisdom are sorely needed amongst this lot. She is even attempting a rudimentary healing.

They will have to deal with that. After all, what are the concerns of mere demons angels and humans to a true king. One who’s will can cut creation. One who could stand in the face of god and strike without thought and hesitation. However they feel about it they are the wind, and she is the mountain. No matter how hard the winds blow, the mountain cannot yield. Zaid IS important. Perhaps, at this point, only second in importance to Al-Yis-Un. Simply because she said so

Of the two demons in that cabin, I’m not quite sure which of the two is more dangerous to AL-YIS-UN. One the one hand Princess Mamoru has a knife and a look on their face that suggests they’re imagining AL-YIS is the carrot. On the other hand, Cio is busy cooking something for her to eat, and frankly the idea of eating what a demon finds edible is not an…enticing prospect to say the least!

That is the formerly Ebon Devil formerly known as Vladok. now a little blue imp like Cup and myself, however. And known as Princess (etc etc etc.) Though I speculate the darker color means they’re a liittle closer to Red than normal.

“Just follow the explosions” certainly seems like an excellent mandate to default to when searching for a protagonist. Perhaps it could even be a form of job-hunting on some worlds: Go to the site of an explosion –> Find whoever wore enough plot armor to survive –> join their team –> ??? –> reap the gains

Hmph… Sibling White Chain’s remark would suggest to me that our lovely Cio stole the Key she once possessed from the Grand Dragon. A most interesting development.

It would also appear that Cio saved our Rising King’s mortal blade and properly stowed it in oilcloth. As mighty as the Blade of Want is, a greatsword like that will be more befitting the hero of a tale such as the one Cio wishes to write.

With Princess helping Cio in the kitchen, this one can not help but wonder if Cio has adopted her as part of an elaborate scheme to ship herself with Allison by way of a nuclear family, knowing that she craves normality in life.

I wonder how those gathered have gotten along without ALL-YISUN’s disaster-trailing consciousness to link them; a human girl, two devils and a member of the Host hardly make comfortable bedfellows, sordid novels to the contrary notwithstanding.